The Perfect Bride: And Baby Makes Three
by Tigergirl1223
Summary: Important note: This is NOT actually a When Calls the Heart story, but it is my own version of a third installment of The Perfect Bride movies on Hallmark, starring our very own Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith, so I figured there might be some interested Hearties. Characters are owned by Hallmark Channel.
1. Chapter 1: Anniversary

It had been a glorious first year of marriage for Nick and Molly Dyson. They had taken a wonderful honeymoon in Maui and Molly had gone into business with Daniel after they returned from Hawaii. Counter Fit was booming and Molly's Bridal and Marriage Boot Camp classes were more popular than ever. Overall, it had been a great first year and today was their one year anniversary.

Nick woke up the morning of their anniversary and rolled over to find a still sleeping Molly next to him. He kissed her temple and she stirred but didn't awaken. He got up and out of bed and their yellow lab, Lucy, lifted her head, "Hi girl," Nick whispered, petting her head. Nick and Molly had adopted Lucy from a shelter six months ago as a part of Molly's Christmas present. The little lab had been three months old at the time and they had both instantly fallen in love with the little fur ball. She had quickly captured both of their hearts and easily became a beloved member of the Dyson family. Lucy followed Nick down the stairs and he filled her bowls with food and water. He knew he wanted to make breakfast in bed for Molly and he knew he wanted to make her favorite, blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs. Simple, yes, but he also wanted to make the day special for her. He heard Molly come down the stairs and he turned to face her, "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning," she said and took a seat at the island. She inhaled a deep breath and wrinkled her nose, "Nicholas Dyson, what in the world are you making?"

He sighed, "I was going to surprise you by making blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs and letting you have breakfast in bed for our anniversary, but…"

"That's okay, sweetheart," Molly grabbed his hand. She smiled and said, "Happy anniversary."

Nick leaned over the island and kissed her, "Happy anniversary."

"Honey, I know you want to make today special, but can we please have just pancakes and no eggs?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course," he smiled. Thankfully, he hadn't started the eggs, "Still feeling a little off?" he questioned. Molly had been feeling a little run down for the past week, barely making it through her boot camp classes. She had also been feeling a little queasy here and there with occasional vomiting. He wondered if she had a mild case of the stomach flu.

Molly sighed, but nodded. Nick could normally tell when she was lying, "A little," she admitted honestly.

"Sweetheart, we don't have to go to Crater Lake if you don't feel up to it," said Nick, "I can call the lodge and tell them you're too sick to go and let Rennie and Lisa know they don't need to watch Lucy tonight."

Molly shook her head adamantly, "No, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Nick in concern.

"Positive," Molly gave him a small smile, "Right now, the fresh air and exercise will be good for me."

Nick was slightly confused, but nodded in agreement. After breakfast, the couple made the four hour drive from Portland to Crater Lake. Nick was worried about Molly the entire drive, not because of the hike ahead; on the contrary, she was probably more in shape than he was for it. But Nick still had the feeling Molly was hiding something from him. Once they arrived at Crater Lake, they gathered their gear (Nick had brought his camera, of course) and they checked into the Crater Lake Lodge for their overnight stay. They went up to their room to settle in before their hike, "Oh Nick, it's beautiful," Molly exclaimed wistfully as she gazed out the window. Nick noticed she had a few tears in her eyes.

Nick came up beside her and kissed her cheek, "Well, I'll have two gorgeous views tonight."

"Nick," Molly scolded lightly.

"What? It's true," he stated innocently.

Molly smiled and kissed him, "We should get going so we're not out on the trails too late."

"Okay, let me go grab my things and we'll get going," said Nick.

Molly nodded and snuck her present for Nick into her backpack before they left the room. They spent most of the afternoon out on the trails, stopping for lunch before they finally reached the lake. The scenery was absolutely stunning, so Nick took the opportunity to take some pictures for his upcoming show. He hadn't failed to notice how quiet Molly had been most of the day, "Is something wrong, sweetheart?" he finally asked.

A lump formed in Molly's throat, but she shook her head, "No, it's just...I need to tell you something."

Nick put his camera away and gave her his full attention, "What's up?"

Molly sighed and pulled a card along with a small, slender box out of her backpack, "Babe, I know we decided to wait until we got back to the room to exchange gifts, but I wanted to make this moment memorable," Molly handed Nick the card and the small box, "Open the card first."

Nick did as instructed. He read the message out loud, "To Daddy on his anniversary, I can't 'weight' to meet my new gym partner," he slowly ended the phrase. He glanced up at Molly, who motioned for him to open the box. He did so and found a small, white stick; a small, white stick that clearly read, 'pregnant', "Oh Molly, are we…are you?" Molly didn't say anything, but instead, smiled and nodded excitedly, "I'm going to be a Daddy?" Molly nodded again, grinning from ear to ear. Nick grinned from ear to ear as well and pulled his wife closer to him, "Sweetheart, this is so wonderful!"

"So you're excited?" Molly finally spoke. Sure, Nick and she wanted children, but they had both decided to wait until after they were married a year before they started trying for a baby, so this pregnancy wasn't exactly planned.

"Of course I'm excited," Nick leaned back and cupped her face in his hand, "I couldn't be more thrilled."

The tears that had been welling up in Molly's eyes finally spilled loose. It was really happening. They were about to become parents. She had no idea whether she would be a good Mommy yet, but she was thrilled for this new adventure she would get to take with Nick. They made their way back to their room where Nick gave her his present, a necklace with a heart-shaped pendent, before they changed into their pajamas and settled in for the night. Nick wrapped his arms around Molly and kissed her temple. She didn't feel the overwhelming desire to say anything at the moment, but instead just enjoy feeling loved by her husband. Finally, Nick broke the silence and said, "Thank you for my anniversary present."

Molly chuckled a little and answered, "Well, I'm pretty sure you contributed to that one, Nicholas Dyson."

"Okay, you got me there," he kissed her and rubbed her belly soothingly, "But I'm still glad you're going to give me a beautiful baby."

Molly rolled over onto her back and Nick kissed her belly, "Happy anniversary, Nicholas Theodore Dyson. I love you so much."

"Happy anniversary, Molly Elizabeth Dyson. I love you too. And if you don't mind, I'd like to show you how much I love you."

"Gladly," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2: Joy

Nick and Molly were up early so they could grab a quick breakfast before they hit the road for the drive back to Portland. Molly hadn't said much the entire morning, but Nick did notice her pale complexion so he figured she might be nauseous. About an hour into the drive home, Nick finally glanced over at her and grabbed her hand, "Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Molly answered, "Just a lot on my mind."

"Well, just let me know if you need me to pull over," Molly looked at him in confusion, "Because of the nausea."

"Oh no, it's not that. The nausea isn't that bad. Yet," Molly admitted, "Just…we're about to become parents Nick. There's a little Nick or a little Molly growing inside of me right now. It's a little scary."

"I know," Nick affirmed, "It's scary for me too."

"I mean, I know we talked about children, but it's all happening so fast. We've only been married for a year as of yesterday. Do you really think we're ready for it?" she asked, turning to face him.

Nick took a deep breath and rubbed her hand with his thumb, "Well ready or not, I guess we have no choice, now do we?" he chuckled lightly and Molly smiled as well, "I mean, I know we dated for about a year before we got engaged but then we planned a wedding in six weeks. Now we have about eight months to prepare depending on how far along you are. We'll be fine," he paused, "Mommy."

Molly couldn't help but smile, "I guess I need to schedule an ultrasound soon. Do you have any events booked this upcoming week?"

Nick thought about it, "No, any day is fine with me."

"I'll also have to tell Daniel that I obviously can't do intense boot camp classes and I'll have to scale back my time at work. And we should probably tell my sister and Rennie along with Brendan and Elizabeth, but I want to make sure everything is going smoothly first."

Molly Dyson, ever the practical one, "Well, we won't tell anyone until you're ready," said Nick, "Within reason, because eventually everyone is going to find out," he joked.

Molly smacked his arm jokingly, "Nicholas Dyson!"

Nick chuckled and went back to focusing on the road. When they arrived back home in Portland, Molly immediately began researching OB/GYNs near them. Nick sat down next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Molly, would you please promise me one thing?"

"Of course," she responded, not even bothering to look up from the screen.

Nick closed the laptop, forcing her to look at him, "Please try to enjoy the experience, well, as much as you can. And _please_ don't overdo it, okay?"

"I promise," said Molly.

"Good," Nick kissed her, "So I was thinking, that maybe for dinner tonight, since we didn't have time to do a nice sit down dinner yesterday, I could take you out for a nice steak dinner, baked potato, and even encourage you to splurge for a rich dessert," Nick was salivating at the prospect; Molly, however, not so much. Nick quickly noticed her turning green, "Molly, are you?"

Before Nick could finish the question, Molly ran to the downstairs bathroom and promptly began expelling what she had eaten for breakfast. Nick mentally smacked himself for suggesting such an extravagant dinner. The morning sickness was probably going to be getting worse over the next few weeks. Once Molly came out of the bathroom, Nick said, "That probably isn't a smart plan."

"No, it isn't," she returned to her seat next to him.

"How about we stay home and I make you some chicken noodle soup and toast instead?" he grinned.

"Sound like a better plan," she smirked at him.

Molly scheduled a prenatal check-up and ultrasound with Dr. Melissa Thompson at Providence Portland Medical Center for that Friday morning. Once the day arrived, Molly and Nick were both nervous as to whether or not the baby was healthy and how long they had until baby Dyson arrived. They read through every crappy magazine in the lobby and half-heartedly watched the news on in the background. Finally, Nick grabbed Molly's hand and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Molly took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah, I just need to know the baby is okay and then I'll be fine. I mean, I'm in my mid-thirties and you're in your early forties so…"

Nick nodded, understanding her reasoning. The possibility of miscarriage, complications, and birth defects increased with age.

"Molly Dyson!" the receptionist called cheerily.

Nick and Molly stood hand in hand and Molly took the paperwork, "Thank you," she said softly.

"Good luck, Mrs. Dyson," she called.

One of the nurses checked Molly's vitals and the couple waited a bit before Dr. Thompson entered the room, "Molly Dyson?" she checked to make sure she had the right patient.

"That's me," Molly answered nervously.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Thompson, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Dyson," she shook her hand politely.

"Oh, please, call me Molly," she said.

"Alright Molly," Dr. Thompson nodded.

"Hi, I'm Nick, I'm Molly's husband," Nick shook her hand as well.

"Nice to meet you, Nick," said Dr. Thompson, "Well, I'm going to give you some information and then I'll perform an ultrasound to check and see how far along you are, determine your due date, and make sure everything is as it should be, okay?" Nick and Molly nodded, "Alright Molly, have you been experiencing any nausea or vomiting?"

"Yes," Molly confirmed, "But surprisingly I'm most nauseous and usually vomit right before bedtime and not in the morning."

"Well the term 'morning sickness' is a misnomer. It can strike at any time of the day or night and eating dinner might possibly be a contributing factor to late night vomiting, so try to eat lighter and bland meals you're more likely to keep down," informed the doctor, "Frequent urination?"

"Yes, I swear I live in the bathroom now, between that and the morning sickness," said Molly.

"Both perfectly normal" assured Dr. Thompson, "How about tender breasts?"

Molly's eyes widened and she looked over at Nick, though his face stayed neutral, "Yes," she answered sheepishly, "Our first anniversary was on Sunday and let's just say that area was…sensitive to put it mildly."

"And fatigue?"

"I feel pretty wiped out," admitted Molly, "I've been barely getting through my bridal boot camp classes at the gym I work at."

"Wait a minute? Bridal boot camp classes like the ones they offer over at Counter Fit?" asked Dr. Thompson.

"Yes, I run them," said Molly.

"Oh I didn't realize your maiden name was White. My sister took your classes a few years ago," said Dr. Thompson happily, "She said your advice is really helping in her marriage."

"Well, that's great to hear," said Molly.

"Well, I'm going to go get the ultrasound machine and we can get started in just a few moments," she said.

Dr. Thompson returned with the machine and Molly hiked up her t-shirt and pulled her shorts down slightly lower. Dr. Thompson squirted the gel onto Molly's abdomen and maneuvered the probe, searching for the little life inside of her. A small smile formed on the doctor's lips when she found it, but then she said, "Oh my."

Molly's eyes widened, "What? Is something wrong?" she glanced over at Nick in concern and worry mirrored back at her. He grabbed her hand and rubbed it soothingly. Was her worst fear coming true?

"Was this pregnancy a surprise?" asked Dr. Thompson.

"Well," Molly started, "Nick and I wanted to wait until we were married a year before trying for a baby and we just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on Sunday. We weren't exactly trying at this point, so I guess it is a surprise. We're both older but we decided we'd be happy with just one child, so we figured it would be safe to wait a bit."

Dr. Thompson bit her lip and held in her amusement when Molly mentioned the fact that they wanted only one child. Molly and Nick scowled. What in the world was going on? Dr. Thompson moved the probe around for a few more moments and placed it back in it's holder before she chuckled and turned to the expectant couple, "Well, it looks like you won't have to rush for a second baby if you get baby fever again because you're starting out with two."

"WHAT?" asked Nick and Molly in stereo.

"Congratulations! You're having twins!"


	3. Chapter 3: Shock

"Excuse me?" questioned Molly, "Would you repeat that again?"

"You're having twins," repeated Dr. Thompson.

"Twins? Are you sure?" asked Nick in shock.

Dr. Thompson placed the doppler back on Molly's abdomen and spun the screen towards them, "There's one baby," she pointed to a small, wiggling blob on the screen, "And there's the second baby," she pointed to a distinct, separate blob.

Nick and Molly gazed wide eyed at the screen before Nick spoke again, "So twins? That means two babies?" he held up two fingers.

"Yes, it means two babies," confirmed the doctor in amusement.

"So that means the first baby will come out, and then the second baby will come out, and then we'll take them home and raise them?" asked Nick, using gestures to prove his point.

"That's generally how it works, Nick," said Dr. Thompson.

"Okay," he sighed as the news started to sink in for him. Molly's eyes hadn't left the monitor the entire time.

"Molly, when was the date of your last menstrual period?" asked Dr. Thompson. Molly didn't answer, "Molly?" she asked again.

"April 28th," Molly answered quietly.

"Well, based on that and the scans, I'd say you're at approximately seven weeks right now," informed Dr. Thompson, "Would you like to hear their heartbeats?"

"Heartbeats," Molly said to herself.

"Plural," said Nick.

Dr. Thompson took those answers as a yes, so she pressed the probe down more firmly and tapped a couple of keys. Moments later, the sound of what could easily be described as trotting horses filled the room. Molly was sure she stopped breathing and Nick sucked in a sharp breath when they heard the out of time heartbeats. But even through the anxiety, the sound was very comforting to the both of them. At least Molly's fear about something being wrong with the baby, make that babies, had disappeared; instead they had been replaced with fears about growing, delivering, and parenting twins, "Well, everything looks good, Molly. Based on the start of your last period, I would put your due date around January 31, 2020, but keep in mind that twins are usually born a couple weeks early, anywhere between 36-38 weeks. I'm going to write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. Remember to eat healthy and do mild exercise, but I would stick to walking, swimming, stationary bike riding, nothing overly intense."

"I'll speak to my boss about not having my classes for the next several months. Maybe he'll give the women already signed up a refund of deposit," said Molly.

Dr. Thompson handed Molly the script, "I'd like to see you in another five weeks for your twelve week scan and then I'd like to see you once a month after that appointment. I'll only suggest more if we run into any complications."

"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Thompson," said Nick as she left the room. His wife and he went to their car, both not knowing what to say, "Wow," Nick finally uttered.

"Yeah," Molly responded.

"You took off today, correct?" Nick looked over at Molly. If she hadn't, he was going to suggest she call or text Daniel and urge her to call-in for the day.

Molly shook her head, "No, I had no classes today, so I took off for the day. We should probably just go home. I'm too tired to do much anyway."

"Okay," Nick nodded in affirmation. They went home and poor Molly spent most of the day alternating between sleeping and hugging the toilet. Nick was supportive by holding her hair back while she was vomiting, getting her water, ginger ale, crackers, and toast in between, and researching twin pregnancies while she was napping. At around 9 PM, Nick decided to turn in for the night. He went to the master bedroom and surprisingly, Molly was awake. He changed into his pajamas and settled in next to her. He closed her laptop and whispered, "Get some sleep."

"I know, I'm just studying things," said Molly.

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't be stressing out. It's not good for you or the babies," said Nick.

"Oh please don't say that word," said Molly.

"Sweetheart, I know you're scared…"

"Scared? I'm terrified!" shouted Molly.

"But we talked about children…"

"I know. And I was fine when I thought we were having one baby, but we're not. We're having twins, Nicholas! Twins!" she emphasized, "That means twice the feedings, twice the diapers, twice the expenses, twice the responsibility," she listed in a panic, "Not to mention the fact that I now have to manage to grow two babies and then push two fully-formed human beings out of me!" she finally started to sob into her hands.

Normally, Molly was the calm, cool, and collected one while Nick was the Nervous Nelly, but Nick had read that day how common mood swings were in pregnancy, especially considering the fact that she had a higher amount of hormones surging through her body at the moment, "It's okay Molly, just a surge of emotions. Nothing unexpected," he comforted. He let her cry for a few more moments before he had her look up at him, "Yes, twins are all of those things. But twins also means twice the hugs, twice the kisses, twice the 'I love you Mommy's, and twice the love," he wrapped his arms around her.

Molly sniffed, "Just feels like we're going to run a marathon before any sort of training or stretching," she chuckled.

"I know," Nick admitted. He had to laugh at Molly and her fitness metaphors, "But we'll be fine. I mean, you know Lisa will melt the moment she lays eyes on them and will always be willing to babysit," said Nick and Molly chuckled. They were both pretty sure Lisa would explode with excitement once they told her she was going to be an aunt. Nick turned out the light and snuggled next to her. He kissed her temple and rubbed her abdomen, "Now get some sleep. All three of you need it," he kissed her belly twice before settling into a comfortable position. Molly stayed awake for a while longer until her extreme fatigue along with the annoying, yet comforting sound of Nick's snoring helped her drift off into a much needed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Reveal

A couple of weeks passed and soon, Nick and Molly got over their fears about parenting twins. Well, they didn't completely to be honest, but the excitement was also mixed in with the anxiety. Molly had told Daniel about the babies and he was thrilled for the expectant couple; he was also more than willing to temporarily take on more responsibility over at Counter Fit. The individuals they had yet to tell about the pregnancy, however, were Brendan and Elizabeth along with Rennie and Lisa. But Nick and Molly had formulated the perfect way to reveal it to them.

The couple had decided to host a dinner party to reveal their big news to their family and friends, or at least the ones who lived in Portland. They had both chosen to have the dinner party once Molly's morning sickness diminished and by twelve weeks, she was only nauseous in the morning most of the time. They had printed official invitations and Nick had planned out the entire meal down to the last ingredient. Once the day of the party finally arrived, Nick spent much of the day doing all of the cooking and wouldn't allow Molly anywhere near the kitchen, much to her dismay. He claimed it had to do with her pregnancy and the fact that some aromas still set of her nausea, but her husband had been territorial in the kitchen long before she had gotten pregnant. About an hour before dinner, Molly was in their room struggling to find a dress that fit her. While she was only twelve weeks along, she already had a very noticeable baby bump since she had two little ones growing inside of her. Luckily, she had a loose fitting dress that still covered it easily. Nick came into the room and smiled when he saw his beautiful girl. He came up behind her and kissed her temple, "You look amazing."

"Glad you think so, because I'll look like I'm full term when I'm only twenty-weeks at the rate I'm growing," she pouted.

Nick pulled her dress tighter across her abdomen and the bump became visible again, "But it just means little Nick and little Molly are growing properly."

"They could be two boys, Nick," Molly smirked.

"Alright. Little Nick and little Theodore," he joked.

"What about two girls?"

"Little Molly and little Elizabeth."

Molly just laughed as they both heard a knock at the door. They went down the stairs hand in hand and were thrilled to see Lisa and Rennie on the other side of the door, "Hello everyone!" Lisa happily threw her arms around Molly and then Nick, "I know you're my sister, but I have a house-warming present for you," Lisa handed Molly her favorite bottle of wine.

Molly smiled and nodded politely, "Thank you, Lisa," she took the bottle, "Dinner is almost ready if you want to go to the dining room."

Lisa and Rennie did so and Nick took the wine from his wife, "Well, you won't be needing this for a while," he said and Molly chuckled a little. Once Brendan and Elizabeth arrived, Nick set out the food, "Bon appétit. Dinner is served," he revealed the homemade lasagna, garlic bread, and roasted potatoes. They had both decided to have water as the beverage that way it would be less obvious that Molly was expecting and they could wait until after dessert to reveal her pregnancy.

"What? No wine?" asked Lisa in disappointment.

"Water's healthier for you, Lisa. You should be drinking eight glasses a day," Molly said.

Lisa rolled her eyes, "You and your health facts."

Everyone had a pleasant time at the party and thankfully, Molly's stomach decided to cooperate for this meal. Rennie and Lisa were chattering on and on about what types of puppies they were looking at buying or adopting so Lucy would have a dog cousin. Nick and Molly smirked at each other; if she was this excited about the possibility of a new puppy, just wait until she found out about two new nieces and/or nephews. After dessert, a chocolate layer cake that Molly had requested, no thanks to her new found sweet cravings (Nick still had yet to get used to that), Brendan looked at Nick, "Well Nicholas, I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed. I never knew you could cook a meal like that."

"It's one of his hidden talents," Molly smiled and kissed his cheek. After they finished their meal, everyone moved to the living room that way Molly could announce the pregnancy.

Once everyone was seated, Elizabeth looked over at Molly and asked, "By the way, Molly, what did you do with your hair because it looks so much lusher," she commented.

Nick and Molly smiled at each other and Nick squeezed her hand in encouragement, "It's because of the hormones."

"Hormones?" everyone questioned.

"You know, the ones you produce when you're pregnant," Molly hinted, "And I'm sure with growing two babies I have a lot of them surging through me right now."

"Wait? WHAT?" shouted Lisa.

"I'm pregnant!" Molly exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh my goodness, CONGRATULATIONS!" Lisa embraced Molly joyfully.

"Wait a minute? Are my ears deceiving me, or did you say two babies?" asked Brendan in confusion.

"Your hearing is fine, Brendan," confirmed Nick.

"I'm pregnant…with twins," Molly said softly and more cheers filled the room.

"Congratulations, Molly," Elizabeth hugged her and then Nick.

"Oh my goodness! I get to be an auntie to twins!" Lisa jumped up and down excitedly.

"How far along are you?" asked Rennie.

"Twelve weeks," Molly answered.

Lisa's eyes widened, "TWELVE WEEKS! And you're just now telling us?"

"Lisa, we wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly before we told everyone," said Nick.

"Oh," Lisa sighed, "That makes sense."

Molly took a deep breath, "And this is just for you, Lisa, because I know you'll want to see it." Molly pulled her dress tighter across her midsection.

"Wow, you're showing already?" asked Elizabeth.

"Yes, unfortunately," Molly grimaced, "At this rate, I'll bigger than a house in no time."

Lisa laid a hand on her sister's shoulder, "But you'll be beautiful," she glanced down towards Molly's swell, "May I?" Molly nodded and Lisa laid a hand on the protrusion, "And everyone in this room knows how great of shape you're in, so I know you're going to rock being pregnant with twins."

"Glad you think so, because the morning sickness has been terrible and still hasn't fully gone away," chuckled Molly, "Not to mention the heartburn, the swollen ankles, the constant peeing, the sore boobs," she whispered to her sister.

"But it'll be worth it. Times two," comforted Lisa.

After another hour, everyone decided to bid their farewells as Molly was getting pretty fatigued. Brendan and Elizabeth left and Lisa laid her hands on Molly's arms, "If you need me to do anything for you, I'm always willing to help," she stated.

"Thank you, Lisa, I really appreciate it," nodded Molly.

"Hey, you're busy growing my nieces or nephews. Or one of each," she giggled, "The least I could do is occasionally do your laundry or dusting."

Molly laughed as well, "Be careful or might take you up on those offers," they kissed each other on the cheek, "Love you."

"Love you too," said Lisa and she left with Rennie.

Nick came up behind Molly and laid his hand on her back, "I think they took the news pretty well, though I believe they were surprised."

Molly smiled, "Weren't we all. But I'm surprised Lisa didn't start doing cartwheels in the living room."

Nick shook with laughter as Molly yawned, "Why don't you go upstairs and rest. I can do the dishes and clean up."

"Are you sure?" asked Molly.

Nick's hand drifted down to Molly's belly and he rubbed it soothingly, "You have enough on your plate right now."

"Alright," Molly sighed. She hated watching Nick do so much of the housework, but she had to admit, she did enjoy being spoiled a little, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Nick kissed her forehead and then kissed her abdomen twice, "Just relax, all three of you. I'll be up soon."

Molly smiled and squeezed his hand before ascending the stairs. She hung up her dress in the closet and put on her pajamas before climbing into bed. Lucy perked up and jumped up next to her. Molly chuckled quietly to herself and scratched behind the lab's ears for a few moments before she laid a hand on her abdomen, rubbing it gently, "You know what guys? Once you both are born, your Daddy is going to have you both so spoiled. I can guarantee it."


	5. Chapter 5: Planning

"I think we should go on a babymoon."

Molly glanced over at Nick and said, "I thought you were looking at furniture for the nursery?"

"I'm doing that too," Nick defended, "Found a few options for cribs at a decent price."

"Yes, we need two of everything, which means we don't have the extra money to waste on a frivolous vacation where I can't do much anyways," Molly stated, closing Nick's laptop for emphasis.

"Molly, Dr. Thompson said as long as you take it easy that it's perfectly safe for you to travel," said Nick, "And did you know that babymoons can relieve stress and help couples connect before the baby, or in our case babies, come?" Molly looked at Nick skeptically, "What? You think you're the only person who knows how to Google things?"

"No, but I just never suspected you were a take a trip in the middle of his wife's pregnancy kind of guy," she admitted.

Nick sat his laptop on his nightstand and began to kiss Molly, "Please honey? It'll be the last trip we get to take together before we become a family of four," his hand drifted down to her abdomen. Although Molly was only sixteen weeks along, she was already fairly big looking about twenty-four weeks along. Nick stopped kissing her and stroked her cheek, "If it'll make you feel better, we can ask Dr. Thompson at you check-up tomorrow and get the green light from her. Okay?"

Molly sighed, "Alright," she finally gave in to his request, "Where were you thinking about going?"

"Well, I've read two of the best cities to on a babymoon are San Diego and Charleston," informed Nick.

"Charleston? As in South Carolina?" Molly raised an eyebrow.

"As soon as Dr. Thompson clears you for travel, we can discuss our options," Nick shut down his laptop and turned off the lamp.

"I guess," Molly sighed as he snuggled next to her; his physical support helped alleviate stress on her back.

"Good," Nick kissed her temple and laid a hand on her abdomen, "I love you. All three of you," he emphasized.

"We love you too," she couldn't help but smile.

Nick didn't sleep a wink that night. He would think that Molly would be the one with insomnia, but as long as she had a few dozen pillows surrounding her, she still slept pretty comfortably, at least at this point. He supposed it was because he was so worried about his wife and the babies. Sure, Molly was eating well (mostly, other than when she was craving sweets), exercising in an appropriate manner, and overall, taking everything in stride, but he knew she was hiding anxiety. He knew deep down she was suffering from many aches and pains and that she was understandably worried about their exit manner, not to mention the concern about parenting two babies at the same time. Maybe he could calm her down before her appointment.

Once the couple arrived at the hospital, Molly couldn't help but notice that Nick was nervously tapping the armrest of his chair. She finally grabbed his hand and said, "Honey, calm down! I think you're nervous enough for everyone in this room."

"I'm not nervous, I'm just worried about you since I know how nervous you are," he said. Molly raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Once they were called back, they waited a few moments before Dr. Thompson entered the room, "Good morning Molly, Nick," she acknowledged the expectant parents, "Well congratulations on making it well into the second trimester. How have you been feeling?"

"Alright," Molly sighed, "My main complaint is that my back is constantly hurting no matter what I do to relieve the pain."

"Well, what have you been doing?" asked Dr. Thompson.

"I've been doing pregnancy yoga, taking warms baths, taking walks, he's been sleeping next to me as support," she motioned her head towards Nick, "Those are the main ways."

"Well, perhaps a nice massage and maybe wearing a support belt to aid in balance as your abdomen grows can help relieve pain," informed the doctor, "Also maybe investing in a body pillow to support your baby bump can help relieve some of the pressure. And make sure to sleep on your side, preferably your left side."

Molly looked over at Nick, "Go ahead," she mocked jokingly.

"Travel…" Nick began, "Is it safe for her? And if we travel….is it safe if we?" he hesitated.

"Oh for goodness sake, he wants to know if we can go on a babymoon and if it's safe to be…active on the babymoon," Molly butted in before her husband could stutter even more.

Dr. Thompson chuckled, "Well, we'll check to make sure the babies are growing properly and everything is developing as they should be, but if everything looks normal, then travel and sexual activity are both perfectly fine as long as you both feel up to it. I would take a trip in your second trimester though and you might not be up for sexual activity much in your third trimester, even before your water breaks."

"Okay," they both nodded in understanding. Dr. Thompson fired up the ultrasound machine and squirted the gel onto Molly's growing bump. She maneuvered the wand around some and two wriggling figures became visible on the screen. They were both easily recognizable as babies at this point in gestation, "Is everything alright?" asked Nick, a slight quiver in his voice.

Molly chuckled and squeezed his hand, "He's a little nervous, can you tell?"

"I'm not nervous, I'm just worried because you're so worried," Nick lied.

"Right," said Molly sarcastically.

"Well, everything looks good. Babies are nice and healthy. Both are growing at a decent rate, and it looks like they might be interacting with each other," Dr. Thompson pointed to them on the screen.

Nick and Molly couldn't help but chuckle at their babies frolicking with each other and Nick visibly relaxed beside Molly, "How much longer before I start feeling those kicks?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Well, it shouldn't be too much longer before they get stronger, but those sensations that feel like gas bubbles or butterflies flying around your abdomen are probably some of their movements. But given the fact that your abdomen was fairly taut pre-pregnancy, it might be a few weeks yet," she explained. She tapped a key and their heartbeats filled the silence of the room, "Well everything looks good, Molly. Continue to eat well and keep it up with your light exercise. I will see you at your twenty-week appointment."

Later that night, after Nick and Molly had settled into bed, Molly couldn't stop staring at the sonogram printout of her babies. She didn't understand how she could already love two humans she had yet to meet face to face so much, but watching them play with each other gave her a sense of comfort. She turned to find that Nick was still fairly quiet; he had been quiet ever since they left her check-up, which was unusual for him, "Are you alright, honey? You seem awfully quiet."

Nick sighed, "Yeah," he said, "I just….I just can't believe you're not nervous about this whole parenthood thing."

"Nick, of course I'm nervous," she grabbed his hand, "As I recall, you were the calm one when we first found out, remember?"

"Yes, but now it's sort of hit me! No offense, but when your belly was flat, it was easier to forget; but now that they're growing and your bump is growing, watching them on the ultrasounds, planning for them, designing the nursery, looking at baby clothes, the reality is setting in for me and I'm terrified."

Molly raised her eyebrows in astonishment, "And you think I'm not? You can at least go to work or close your eyes or whatever and pretend this," Molly rubbed the mound in her midsection, "Doesn't exist. I can't. I'm thinking about it or dreaming about it 24/7. I just take deep breaths to calm myself down when I get overwhelmed."

"And that works?" asked Nick.

"Most of the time. And even when it doesn't, it's still good practice for labor," she said, a hint of angst in her voice.

Nick squeezed her hand, "I know you, Molly Dyson. You will handle it just fine."

"Yes, and I know that millions of women have gone through it for thousands and thousands of years, but I know it's still going to hurt like heck, so I can't help but feel anxious. Not to mention that giving birth to twins is a whole other ballpark."

"But I'll be there every step of the way and I will never leave your side," assured Nick.

"Well, as long as you don't pass out on me in the delivery room, I'll be fine," Lucy jumped up on the bed and rested her head on Molly's baby bump, "You will probably be staying with Uncle Rennie and Aunt Lisa when I have your brothers or sisters or brother and sister," she smiled and scratched behind her ears, much to Lucy's delight.

"Well I guess we'll find out at your next appointment," said Nick.

Molly scowled a little as they hadn't really discussed whether they were going to find out the sexes of their babies. She supposed that would be a conversation for a different time. They settled into more comfortable positions and Nick was slowly drifting off to sleep when Molly said, "San Diego sounds like a nice place to take a babymoon."

Nick smiled and kissed Molly's temple, "Well, we can certainly look into it."


	6. Chapter 6: Babymoon Part One

Nick and Molly settled on taking a babymoon to San Diego since it was a destination on the west coast and they could get home more easily in the case of an emergency. Molly was eighteen weeks along and still feeling fairly comfortable so they decided the last week of August was the perfect opportunity to babymoon. They had a flight to San Diego late Saturday afternoon so they would have an evening to relax and get settled before they went about their week. Of course, instead of relaxing, Molly spent the entire morning over at Counter Fit making sure everything was organized for Daniel, "Alright, memberships for September that have been paid are in this pile, those that still need to be paid are in this pile," Molly pointed to each distinct stack of papers.

"Molly…" started Daniel.

"The cycling classes are covered, the yoga classes are covered, you still need to find a staff member to teach next month's Zumba classes…"

"MOLLY!" Daniel finally gained her attention, "I have everything under control. Now the entire point of this vacation is for you and Nick to RELAX," he stressed, "So no thinking about work, no texting me or calling me about work, no dreaming about work, I don't want to be on your mind while you're in California."

"Wish me luck with that," chuckled Nick, "Now, we have a flight to catch in two and a half hours, so we better get going," urged Nick.

"Have a good trip," Daniel hugged them both, "Make sure your twins don't have too much fun."

"I'll see you next week, Daniel," Molly smiled. The couple left for the airport and by 7:00 PM, they had arrived at the Hotel del Coronado Resort in San Diego, California. They had booked one of the Ocean View Villa rooms at the Beach Village and when they arrived to their villa, the sun was just beginning to set over the Pacific Ocean, "Nick, it's so beautiful," Molly exclaimed wistfully as she came back in from the balcony, "You'll definitely be able to get some gorgeous shots for your next show."

"Well, between the beautiful view and my beautiful girl, I'll have plenty of material for my next show," Nick stroked her cheek.

"Nick," she scolded softly, "I don't mind you taking pictures of me while we're here, but I don't want any of them going into your next show."

Nick sighed, but nodded, "Alright, I promise," he lifted her top and kissed her abdomen, "But Daddy does want to take plenty of pictures so you both can see how beautiful Mommy was when you were growing in her tummy."

"Beautiful, seriously?" Molly glanced down at her figure, "I have stretch marks on my breasts and abdomen, my ankles are swollen, my legs are cramping, my back is aching, and my belly is huge."

"But it will be worth all of the misery in the end," Nick rubbed her abdomen, "Now why don't we get settled in so we can have dinner and then maybe take moonlit stroll along the beach?"

"Mm, I'd like that," said Molly. As the couple was unpacking, Molly decided to bring up a subject that had been bothering her, "Sweetheart?"

"Hmm?" asked Nick.

"My next ultrasound…" she began.

Nick scowled, "What about it?"

"Are we going to find out their genders?" she asked hesitantly.

Nick sat down on one of the beds and patted the space next to him. Molly took a seat next to her husband and Nick grabbed her hand, "Do you want to find out in a few weeks?"

Molly sighed, "I don't know," she admitted honestly, "There's a part of me that feels like it would be like opening a present before Christmas. The other part of me thinks it would be practical to find out whether they're boys or girls or one of each so we can find more gender-specific clothes and narrow down nursery themes." They had stripped the guest room but they had yet to start on any designs.

"Hmm. So I guess baby gym and baby photography studio aren't serious contenders?" asked Nick jokingly. Molly smacked his chest and he said, "Okay, I'm behaving. Well, Lisa and Rennie admitted they wanted to be involved in some way. Maybe we can have Dr. Thompson write down the genders and have them throw a gender reveal party."

"A gender reveal party?" asked Molly in surprise.

"Yes, invite everyone, our parents, our siblings, our friends, get them all in one room when we find out the genders so everyone will learn at the same time. Minus Lisa and Rennie, of course."

Molly smiled and stroked her bump, "It would be nice to be able to picture what they are."

"Then I think you just answered your question," Nick responded.

Molly chuckled and continued to rub soothing circles over their babies, "But no matter what you both are, Mommy and Daddy love you both very much."

Nick kissed her belly, "We most certainly do."

Molly felt a jab against her abdomen, "Oh," she exclaimed in surprise, but she grinned broadly when she felt it again, "I think they just returned the sentiment."

Nick quickly laid a hand on her abdomen and Molly moved it to where she felt kicking. Nick's eyes widened and a smile spread across his face as they both felt the two little lives they had created together move around inside Molly. A few tears formed in his eyes, "Well, whether you are two boys, two girls, or a boy and a girl, we can't wait to meet you."

 **So, any predictions on the genders of the Dyson twins? Let me know what you think!**


End file.
